Postcard (and photodump) from Edinburgh
Plus where to eat and drink during the Festival
Greetings from Edinburgh where I am up again celebrating the festival with my son, Will as we do every year. Which is so much fun there’s not enough time for a full Friday 5 although I here are some updated restaurant recommendations to make up for it.
Including, of course, Hawksmoor or I’ll be in trouble with Will.
So, photo dump. Or #photodump as we must now hashtag it. Which means, apparently, and I’ve only just learnt the phrase, a random selection of images that illustrate what a amazing/dreadful time you’re having.
In what way that differs from Instagram stories I’m not entirely clear but it is apparently A Thing. So here are a few.
I should maybe have included pix of Will and me prostrate on our beds as we seem to have been spending a lot of time snoozing. Will, having three young children and constantly jetting round the world, is always tired. (Maria, his wife, who is in Spain for summer with the kids, must be more exhausted still.)
I have less excuse. Except being about to hit a significant birthday about which more next week …
Maybe it’s just the amount of walking we’ve been doing.
Or the eating. Ditto.
Anyway an afternoon snooze is a wonderful thing and that’s my excuse for not having seen so much of the festival as usual.
What we did manage to get to is standup comedian Stewart Lee who we saw last year and who is very, very funny, the Book Festival (not nearly as good since it moved location) and Andrew O’Hagan’s much acclaimed new play The Ballad of Truman Capote. I’m a big fan of his books so it was a bit of a thrill to actually meet him, so excuse self-indulgent selfie.
Oh, and not part of the Fringe, but we went to see the brilliant First Aid Kit at the O2, a favourite band of Will’s who should have been on my radar and ought to be on yours. The support act The Last Dinner Party (great name!) was terrific too.
Where are we staying? In an Airbnb on the edge of Stockbridge in the New Town. Which is my favourite part of Edinburgh and much quieter and less crowded than the Old Town which is mental at the moment. (New as in Georgian rather than the ‘50s and ‘60s.)
Anyway here are a few updated suggestions as to where to eat in Edinburgh during - and obviously after - the festival